Tile floor



J. A. BRIED.

TILE FLOOR.

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Patented June 10, 19 19.

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- nvmvron ATTORNEY 'J'ULIEN A. BRIED, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

TILE FLOOR.

, tile floors and particularly to a means of overcoming the tendency of such tiles to crack when the building settles 'or the floor upon which they are laid is not sufiiciently rigid or becomes uneven, and it consists in forming each tile with three short legs or supports so that the tile will always find a firm bearing irrespective asto whether the supporting floor beneath is perfectly even or not, and to insure freedom to each tile to find a solid bearing after laying the tile, I fill the seams with a flexible cement.

The object of the invention is carried out as shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is-a perspective view showing the flat upper surface of a tile and Fig. 2 shows the lower surface of the tile with the three supports molded to it and projecting slightly from the said lower surface. Fig. 3 shows the lower side of three tiles with modified shape and position of the supports.

Fig. 4 shows a portion of a finished tile floor made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 shows an end view of thetiles as they would appear when laid. Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification in the form of the tiles and Fig. 8 shows a separate three point supporting member to be laid beneath fiat tiles having no supporting members attached.

In all figures in the drawing like numerals designate like features. The upper surface of the tile is shown at 1, the three supporting portions at 2 projecting from the lower surface 3 of the tile.

In Fig. 3 at 1011 and 12 are shown tiles with various forms of supports 2 projecting from the lower surface 3 of tiles.

In Fig. 4 a portion of a finished tile floor is shown supported by an under floor of boards 4, and where the tiles abut the base board of the room suitable shaped filling in pieces 5 are provided.

When laying tile floors according to my invention if the sup orting floor is of wood Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 10, 1919, Application filed September 7-, 1915. Serial No. 49,328.

a better result is obtained by placing a heavy piece of building paper between the supporting floor and the tiles.

To permit each tile to adjust itself on its three point support to any uneveness in the supporting floor; present at the start or developed at the later time; I fill the seams or spaces between the tiles with a flexible or non rigid cement composed of asphalt, pitch, rubber or any similar compound of suitable consistency and slight flexibility, said cement being applied in a heated or liquid state, the seams of "tiles having first been calked with a piece of string to prevent the cement from running through.

To facilitate forming a tight joint I taper the edges of the tiles as shown at 6 in Fig.

5 where the calking material is shown at 7 and the cement at 8.

To give the finished floor a better appearance and make walking smoother the corners where the upper surface and the edges meet are slightly rounded as at 13 in Fig. 5.

A tile embodying my invention may be of any shape, but as it is desirable that the contour of the tile be kept near or within the points of support so as to obviate a tendency of the tile to tip if weight is applied on any overhanging portion, it follows that the best form for my tile is a triangle with the-supports at or near each corner and such construction is shown in the drawing in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, but while the triangular form is the most suit-- able, it can be modified by removing the corners and placing the supports somewhat further in, as shown in Fig. 6, this still keeps the contour of the tile close to a contour embracing the supporting points but in laying tiles of this form, small filling in pieces would have to be used to fill the spaces left by these out off corners; as shown at 9 in Fig. 7 and which small pieces can also be provided with a. three point support, though if very small one point would suffice. The filling in pieces would be a different form from the one shown ifthe tiles are assembled differently. Also, certain variations may be made in the arrangement of the supports without departing from the principle of my invention; 2'. e. a flat tile with a three pointsupport; for instance the supports need not be integral with the tile but can be three ,separate supports projecting above the supporting floor I rately laid upon the supporting floor beneath the tile, or a metal or other frame as shown in the drawin in Fig. 8 can be laid beneath each tile to form the supports.

Therefore in view of the many modifications possible, I ask for a broad claim covering any form of a three point support applied toa floor tile and my method of laying such tiles, for while I am fully aware of the fact that a three point support has been applied to many things, I believe my application of it to floor tiles to be new and of great value in overcoming the necessity of a rigid supportingfloor heretofore always considered a prime requisite and indispensible regardless of its cost where tile floors were to be kept from cracking.

In the claims, the words fioor tile are used to denote a tile having a flat, or substantially fiat, upper surface suitable for walking on, as distinguished from a roofing tile'which is constructed in itsupper surface with depressions or projections to en-,

gage projections or depressions of the under surface of a tile above it, roofing tiles being laid in overlapping arrangement like the scales .of a fish.

- By the words at its corners only in the claims is meant that the supports are sufficiently close to the corners to prevent the tile being tilted by the weight of a person imposed upon the tile at an edge or corner thereof.

I claim 1. A substantially triangular floor tile having supports depending from its under side at its corners only.

2. A substantially triangular floor tile having legs at its corners only, adapted to support it upon a suitable foundation so that the major portion of its under side is supported a short distance above the founda tion.

3. A substantially triangular floor tile provided with means for supporting it at its corners only. 4

4. A tile floor comprising a foundation and triangular tiles thereon'of which the upper surfaces are in thesam'e Plane and each has at its cornersseparate. supports resting upon the foundation and supporting the tile thereon so thatthe'under surface of the tile is spaced fromthe foundation. I v

JULIENAI-BRIED.

Witnesses:

CLEMENT L. Bruno; I WILLARD W. KrNG; 

